Thank you for telling me. When I was sent to Nebraska Center for Children and Youth for a year there were two Lakota guys there. They were tall, long black hair, good looks and kept to themselves.
One day around sunset some older bigger guy decided he'd have fun beating the crap out of me. I did my best but eventually he got me down on the ground and was kicking the hell out of me. Then, the two Lakota guys, (brothers?) came flying down the hill, slammed into him with a few good punches to throw him off. He ran and I got up to thank the guys but they already were walking off. It happened so quick I was left with my gratitude half out of my mouth as they turned away without a word, like it never happened. Still, I saw them from time to time and like everyone else, was equally ignored. LOL. At least they were there when I need them, right? Another Native American guy was my friend and even though we were from different cabins we kind of hung out together in wood shop class. He was kind of a laid back guy with occasional philosophical comments.
As a kid I remember my Grandmother telling me her mom was half Cherokee and yes, you could see she had darker skin and some what of the looks but she was sort of tall and graceful. But, then I was shown photos of Great Great Grandmother and dang, she was pure Cherokee. Great Grandma didn't much like to talk about these things, I guess some sort of issue I know nothing about. But, I noticed Great Great Grandma was reported to me as having married an Irishman who sort of vanished and left her with some kids. The next Irishman that came along she married right away. What's odd is that Great Great Grandma was by my way of seeing things, very homely. The Irishman in the photo is tall and gangly with very good looks. Sort of aristocratic looks mixed with some ruggedness.
Grandma told me that when her mom was of a decent age to get married great great Grandma married her off to the first Irishman who chanced along. He was a traveling musician which to me is just a loafer who sings for his alcohol. In the wedding photo Great Grandma is tall and slender with a lovely shade of light brown skin, very shapely face that would draw any eye to her. The idea was to hurry and marry her off before she got involved with some random dude and brought shame to the family by being pregnant out of wedlock. In that wedding photo Great Grandma is looking happy and pleased.
Next to her is this grinning short Irishman, not much to look at. To me he looks like an ignorant drunk and that's exactly how it worked out. A photo a year or so later shows Great Grandma with a face grim and worried and that foolish Irishman frowning. Turns out neither one was happy but they moved to California and with his violent temper his oldest son eventually drove him away warning him to never come back. So he didn't.
I have one aunt who looks a bit like Great Grandma Helen but not quite as tall and not nearly as beautiful. Today, I wished that while Great Grandma was alive I had thought to ask her more about her mother. The experiences they all had with poverty after arriving in California, well, it wasn't happy times.
Patriot, in Lakota tradition it is frowned on to boast about doing a good deed. As the grandmothers will quickly tell you, you do not take credit for doing good, you are supposed to do that anyway. The good deed speaks for itself. You only take credit for your mistakes. And they tell you also never to start the trouble.
There was a time we did not speak our language around strangers, we just kept it amongst ourselves, and this was done to avoid any trouble, now today they are being taught their language in school, so more are speaking it, where there was a time I thought we may lose the language. Our problem is we can not agree how the words are spelled. LOL, we have the same language and different dialects, so depending on the dialect it would be spelled different. so they pretty much agreed to disagree and spell I the way you think it should be spelled. LOL
would have been great had you been able to learn more, but you can research their teachings and all. you may be able to find more on your family in the Dawes Rolls since they were a Eastern Band. If they ever signed up you will be able to find your family on them.
Ahhh, Interesting about Dawes rolls. My aunt is interested in our history and took a DNA test. I have no idea what she found since I didn't ask. I will pass this on to her. She mentioned to me that while doing business in Montana she associated with some Native Americans there but didn't elaborate beyond saying they were the most decent people she'd ever met.
Thanks so much for explaining what happened those many years ago. You know what puzzles me: Why were those two Lakota even there? They were so quiet, always when I saw them they were walking silently along, never bothering anyone or getting in any trouble. The strange thing is, my memory of that incident is a bit like a cinema scene. One second I was being on the grass getting the stuffing knocked out of me and out of the corner of my eye I saw these two Lakota running down the hill with their long hair flowing behind them. They were running at top speed and until they got that bully off of me, they were completely silent. Most quiet runners ever.
My Lakota friend, (I assume he was since he looked a bit like the two brothers) was very skinny. I got the impression he was legitimately there because he was sort of a quiet rebel. If he didn't want to do something, he just wouldn't do it. He was laconic and laid back in mannerisms but totally true to himself. If he spoke at all it was quiet and low with witty philosophical statements. BTW, the two Lakota brothers, thinking back on it now, I believe they were twins as I never could tell one from the other.
There was also a very petite girl who was perhaps from the same tribe. I didn't encourage her but for some reason she was enamored with me. When she got a chance one day she came and sat on my lap and none of the staff noticed or stopped her. Very sweet kid about my age I think but so slight. Then a week later her family came to get her as she was released and I never saw her again. What the hell could this waif of a sweet kid have ever done to be there? My laid back Lakota friend, Ok, I get it, he talked about smoking weed and maybe he got busted for that and maybe he was just obstinate and got sent up for that. But I am sure he wasn't there for being truly a bad guy. Most of the other kids, oh ya, there were reasons they were there.
First day there I tried to make friends with some guys on the sport's field or off to the side on a bank. One of the guys pointed out this tall shapely girl with long hair and tight pants. Told me I should go introduce myself because she's all alone. Like a complete moron I walk over and do as they say. Politely introduce myself. The girl instantly kicked me as hard as she could in the nuts as I swiveled away. It was a glancing strike so even though it hurt it didn't drop me to the grass. My new friends were howling with laughter as I hobbled back to them and asked what the hell she did that for. They howled even more with laughter. "Guys, what's the joke, why did she do that??"
They explained to me that any guy that talks to her in any way will get kicked in the nuts. It's her thing and no one can get her to explain. She won't talk, just kicks you in the nuts. Very pretty ball buster chick. LOL. So yes, most were there for a reason. It's an evaluation center.
Patriot, Dawes Roll is massive and a long search. here is a link that may help you. If you have their names and they enrolled you can find it quickly, , and you can try the US Census for the reservation they were on if you know the reservation and time frame along with the name, be prepared because sometimes the names were not spelled the same as today. Wishing you success in your search.
(post is archived)